Court seeks Delhi government’s response on beef consumption

New Delhi, (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Delhi government on a PIL seeking quashing of certain provisions of the Delhi Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act that criminalises possession and consumption of beef in the national capital.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to file the response by September 14. The plea was filed on May 4.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO working for development of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, saying the “right to eat the food of one’s choice is an integral part of the right to life and liberty”.

The constitution mandates the state not to make a law towards enforcement of a particular religious practice, the plea said.

“The prohibition on possession and consumption of beef per se as under the Cattle Preservation Act is in violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioners and other persons similarly situated as it infringes their personal liberty,” it said.